Wary immigrants in New York are foregoing medical appointments and nutritional assistance, according to advocates' claims.
In recent times, representatives of local community aid organizations have testified that immigrant New Yorkers are forgoing doctors' appointments, failing to report domestic violence, and doing without public benefits such as food stamps out of fear of immigration enforcement. This fear is not unfounded, as over 3,300 immigrants have been arrested since January 20, marking a 56% increase over the same period last year.
One such individual is a Korean immigrant woman without legal status, who was "terrified" to call the police due to fear of deportation. However, the mayor's office has been dedicated to ensuring immigrant New Yorkers feel safe. They have expanded Know Your Rights trainings to the largest in the nation and created the new Office to Facilitate Pro Bono Legal Services to connect more individuals with free, existing legal support.
Mayor Eric Adams administration officials have urged families to continue sending their children to school, accessing medical care, and calling 911 in emergencies. They have also invested $120 million in free immigrant legal services, with the administration's "first priority" for detained immigrants being connecting them with legal services, as stated by Erin Byrne, a staffer for the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs.
The surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests since President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20 has increased the mental health needs of immigrant New Yorkers. The Arab American Family Support Center has seen an 80% surge in requests for mental health assistance in recent months, and Avilés, a city council member, has criticized the Adams administration for a lack of appropriate services to address immigrants' mental health needs.
Avilés was "incredibly frustrated" by the failure to address critical needs, such as long wait times for the city's suicide and mental health crisis hotline, called 988. The city spreads its message of safety through flyers, social media, events, workshops, and roundtables with ethnic and immigrant media outlets.
The city council and the local refugee support organization announced on Monday that they will invest additional resources in free refugee legal counseling. This comes as the mayor's office has been accused by an unnamed elected official of spreading misinformation about the work of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. However, Mayor Adams has been clear that no New Yorker, regardless of their documentation status, should be afraid to use resources like calling the police, sending their kids to school, seeking medical care, or going to a court hearing.
As of early March, about 43,000 asylum-seekers were staying in city shelters. A Korean immigrant woman without legal status reached out to the Korean American Family Service Center for assistance with domestic violence. This underscores the need for continued support and resources for immigrant New Yorkers in these challenging times.
This article was updated with comment from the mayor's office. The mayor's office accused the unnamed elected official of spreading misinformation about the work of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs.
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